A Decade of “Ducketts” at Querencia

This past February 20th, Los Cabos Children’s Foundation commemorated a decade of the Fred Duckett Challenge event. LCCF’s main fundraiser where past and new supporters were invited to join in for a grand celebration that was truly a magical event.

Los Cabos Children’s Foundation (LCCF) started as one member’s effort to address the critical healthcare needs of one child, and has grown over the years to serve hundreds of children with life-threatening medical needs in the Los Cabos area. LCCF has deep, longstanding ties to the Querencia community, because many of its founding and current board members are also residents and/or members of this exclusive development. Querencia is very proud to be a significant contributor to LCCF. Their support has had a profound impact on the lives of many children, including some of their own employee families.

Back in 2007, Querencia Golf Club decided to support the great work of LCCF and also sustain a legacy of caring and outreach that was so important to Fred Duckett, a founding Querencia member who had passed away the year before.

Alfred “Fred” Clayton Duckett, Jr. a prominent Southern California real estate developer, restaurateur and sportsman, died after battling melanoma with great courage. Fred married Patricia Lee Campbell and they spent their honeymoon in Las Cruces, Baja California, beginning a lifelong love of fishing and sailing the waters of the Sea of Cortez. Fred was also an avid golfer and belonged to several clubs in California, as well as Querencia.

Today, Los Cabos’ most prestigious fundraiser has successfully reached a decade of undoubted support from the community and Fred’s family continues to attend our “Duckett” every year. We are very grateful to his wife, Patty, their children and grandchildren, for allowing us to keep honoring Fred Duckett’s life and for staying connected to our cause. LCCF will continue to carry his legacy of commitment to the community in the years to come.

On the morning of February 20th, 23 foursomes participated in the renowned Golf Tournament at Querencia Golf Club and the winning team was made up by John & Judy Engram and Randy & Bonnie McIntosh. Congratulations!

The evening event began with cocktails at Querencia with the splendid performance of the Youth Orchestra of Los Cabos, followed by dinner. And to finish off the night we had the amazing jazz show of Davina & The Vagabonds. We were delighted to have them for the second year in a row at The Duckett. We are so grateful for having both of these very talented groups join us at the event and make it truly outstanding.

The highlights of the night were having young Armando Quiñones, now 17, who at age 7 was benefited by LCCF’s work toward facilitating two bone marrow transplants in the United States. Armando and his family joined LCCF in handing out special 10-year Recognitions to 6 personalities who were an important part of the birth and early work of LCCF. The award recipients were:
Tom Walsh, LCCF founder, for responding to the needs of the community with love and vision;
Patty Duckett, for leading her family in continuing her husband’s legacy together with LCCF;
Jeanie Conzemius, for her loving care to the families of Los Cabos that travelled to the United States to receive medical attention;
Gay Thatcher, for her work with LCCF’s partner, Amigos de los Niños, in locating and sending the Los Cabos children that needed help to the U.S. and continuing to do so locally;
Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, for opening their hearts and doors to treat Mexican children for free;
and Querencia, for allowing us to use their beautiful facilities and contibuting greatly to the Duckett for these past 10 years.
They are all the roots of the “tree of life” that they received as recognition of their selfless work with LCCF.

“This tree represents the work of LCCF. It grows from the seeds of love, joy, service, hope and gratitude that were planted by all those who have supported our mission. The children we have helped are now bearing fruits of the same kind. Thank you for being the roots that give us strength to continue growing” was engraved at the foot of each award.

LCCF’s traditional “Caminando Juntos” award, given to recognize an individual who has showed a sustained commitment and has gone beyond the call of duty at assisting with our programs, was given to Chris Erickson, owner of Cabo Villas Beach Resort and Spa. Someone who has walked together with LCCF as a faithful partner by facilitating and promoting solutions to save children’s lives. Exactly what Chris has achieved by implementing the “One Dollar a Day” Program at his resort and sharing his vision with other hotels in Los Cabos. We had the honor to have Governor Carlos Mendoza Davis and his wife, Gabriela Velázquez, presenting the award and speaking about the importance of working together as a community to address children’s health issues.

The evening was a fabulous event filled with joy, love and hope for a brighter future for the children of the Baja. Thanks to all participants including volunteers, sponsors, partners and attendees, this Duckett was a tremendous success reaching our goal of $1 million dollars raised thanks to each and every donor who believed in our mission to support programs that have a focus on health for children in Baja California Sur to improve their quality of life.